The First Professional Degree Classification

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The First ProfessionalDegree Classification

• Jeff Weber
• 2003-2004 AIR/NCES
• Senior Fellow

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Purpose of the Project

• Develop recommendations for improving the
  efficiency and effectiveness of the collection
  and use of IPEDS data on first-professional
  degrees
• The current categories of data collection were
  developed in the late 1950's, and considerable
  change has occurred in the structure of U.S.
  occupations. The Fellowship project should
  address the ways in which the current IPEDS
  categories may be modified, expanded, contracted,
  or eliminated.

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Practical Objective

• Ease the volume of the 3 types of mail received
  by the department regarding First Professional
  Degrees
• We want in!
• Upset by what appears to be an eclectic
  collection of programs
• Question the rationale for the category

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First Professional Degree Definition

• From the 2000 Classification of Instructional
  Programs
• An award that requires postsecondary study of the
  basic body of knowledge and skills required to
  function as an entry-level professional in
  certain fields specified for reporting purposes
  by the U.S. Department of Education. These awards
  require the completion of a program that meets
  all of the following criteria

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First Professional Degree Definition

• completion of the program provides the academic
  prerequisites necessary for licensure in a
  recognized profession
• requires at least 2 years of college-level study
  prior to entering the program and
• the degree is awarded after a period of study
  such that the total registered time to the
  degree, including both pre-professional and
  professional study, equals at least 6 full-time
  equivalent academic years.

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CIP code validation

• All CIP codes are verified against the 1990 or
  2000 version of the Classification of
  Instructional Programs manual, depending on which
  the user has selected.
• CIP codes used to report first-professional
  degrees and certificates (award levels 10) will
  be checked against the following list of approved
  first-professional degree programs

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Current Programs

• 22.0101 Law (L.L.B. or J.D.)
• 51.0101 Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)
• 51.0401 Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
• 51.1201 Medicine, General (M.D.)
• 51.1701 Optometry (O.D.)
• 51.1901 Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
• 51.2001 Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
• 51.2101 Podiatry (D.P.M., Pod. D., D.P.)
• 51.2401 Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
• 39.0602 Divinity/Ministry (B.D., M. Div., or
  Ordination)
• 39.0603 Rabbinical and Talmudic Studies
  (M.H.L./Rav)
• 39.0605 Ordination, Other

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CIP code validation

• Except for 51.2001 (Pharmacy) which can also be
  used to report bachelor's degrees, these CIP
  codes may ONLY be used for first-professional
  degrees or certificates.
• Invalid CIP codes will not be imported into the
  data collection database. A listing of invalid
  CIP codes and corresponding line numbers in the
  import file will be provided.

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Current usage . . .

• IPEDS
• Completions Surveys
• Institutional Characteristics
• Fall Enrollment
• Longitudinal Surveys (e.g. Baccalaureate and
  Beyond)

And of the workforce
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(No Transcript)
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Californias Institutional Delineations

• The California State University shall offer
  undergraduate and graduate instruction through
  the master's degree in the liberal arts and
  sciences and professional education, including
  teacher education.
• The University of California shall have exclusive
  jurisdiction in public higher education over
  instruction in the profession of law and over
  graduate instruction in the professions of
  medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine.

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DefiningFirst Professional
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First Professional vs. professions

• Similar confusions as with the definition used
  for occupational specificity.
• Minimum credential to practice
• Evolution and legitimization of fields

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What is a profession?

• profession noun
• An occupation requiring considerable training and
  specialized study the professions of law,
  medicine, and engineering.
• The body of qualified persons in an occupation or
  field members of the teaching profession.
• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
  Language, Third Edition

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What is a professional?

• professional noun
• A person following a profession, especially a
  learned profession.
• One who earns a living in a given or implied
  occupation hired a professional to decorate the
  house.
• A skilled practitioner an expert
• The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
  Language, Third Edition

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DETC Definition

• There are many more professional fields of
  study in the United States, but those listed here
  are unique in that they are not offered at the
  undergraduate level.
• It is also important to recognize that First
  Professional degrees in these fields are first
  degrees, not graduate research degrees. Several
  of the degree titles in this group of subjects
  incorporate the term Doctor, but they are not
  research doctorates and not equivalent to the
  Ph.D.

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F.P. Defining Rationale

• Rationale for First Professional Degree
  Classification (i.e. what makes these programs
  different?)
• Differential Tuition
• Nature of Curriculum (practitioners)
• Length of Curriculum (6 years current
  definition)
• Licensure (peer control)

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The First ProfessionalDegree Classification

• Recommendation and Redefinition

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Evolving and Emerging Fields

• Physical Therapy
• Audiology
• Architecture
• Engineering
• Others?

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Doctor of Physical Therapy

• Vision 2020 contains a clear reference to
  "doctors of physical therapy" and thus reflects
  support for doctorally-prepared practitioners and
  the clinical doctorate as the first professional
  degree.
• Source American Physical Therapy Association

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Doctor of Audiology

• audiology is now being viewed as a First
  Professional Degree profession that does not have
  an undergraduate major
• Source Colorado Commission on Higher Education

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American Society of Civil Engineers

• Policy Statement 465 and Charge to and Approach
  of the Task Committee
• The ASCE supports the concept of the masters
  degree as the First Professional Degree (FPD) for
  the practice of civil engineering (CE) at the
  professional level.

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Options

• 3 options for re-definition
• Leave alone(does not respond to the needs of the
  department)
• Eliminate(creates difficulties with historical
  comparisons)
• Expand/Re-define(requires a cohesive, organized
  listing and a supportive definition)

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Existing F.P. Degrees

• 22.0101 Law (L.L.B. or J.D.)
• 51.0101 Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.)
• 51.0401 Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.)
• 51.1201 Medicine, General (M.D.)
• 51.1701 Optometry (O.D.)
• 51.1901 Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
• 51.2001 Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)
• 51.2101 Podiatry (D.P.M., Pod. D., D.P.)
• 51.2401 Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
• 39.0602 Divinity/Ministry (B.D., M. Div., or
  Ordination)
• 39.0603 Rabbinical and Talmudic Studies
  (M.H.L./Rav)
• 39.0605 Ordination, Other

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Broad Categories of F.P. Degrees

• Medical and Health Professions
• Materials and engineering
• Social/Mental assistance

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Additional F.P. Degrees (Health)

• 51.0202 Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing
  Sciences
• 51.2308 Physical Therapy/Therapist
• 51.2306 Occupational Therapy/Therapist
• 51.3303 Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy (ND)
• 51.3301 Acupuncture
• 51.3302 Traditional Chinese/Asian Medicine and
  Chinese Herbology
• 44.0701 Social Work

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Additional F.P. Degrees (Finance)

• 52.0802 Actuarial Science
• 52.0804 Financial Planning and Services
• MBA
• Tax
• Brokerage
• Note most business programs would require a
  re-definition to isolate them from undergraduate
  study.

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Additional F.P. Degrees (Materials)

• 04.0201 Architecture (MArch)
• 14. ENGINEERING.
• Specified fields, such as Civil (14.0801) Nuclear
  (14.2301), and Chemical (14.0701) engineering can
  be identified, but must be investigated for
  definitional fit.

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Recommended Definition

• An award that requires postsecondary study of the
  basic body of knowledge and skills required to
  function as an entry-level professional in
  certain fields specified for reporting purposes
  by the U.S. Department of Education. These awards
  require the completion of a program that meets
  all of the following criteria

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Recommended Definition (cont.)

• completion of the program provides the academic
  prerequisites necessary for licensure to practice
  in a recognized profession
• the degree is awarded after a period of study
  that includes at least 3 Academic Years of
  full-time post-baccalaureate level coursework.

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Comments Feedback

• Jeff Weber
• AIR/NCES Senior Fellow
• c/o Indiana Commission on Proprietary Education
• 302 West Washington Street, Room E201
• Indianapolis, IN 46204
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail jweber_at_cpe.in.gov